12-1 One Wife, Many Husbands: The Nyinba The Nyinba culture of Nepal and Tibet is an agrarian society located in the remote valleys of the Himalaya Mountains, more than 9,000 feet above sea level. Despite the Nyinba’s iso- lation, they have been closely studied. Schol- ars from around the world have traveled to the Himalayas to observe this people, one of the few remaining cultures on earth to practice polyandry. In the physically challenging high-altitude region of the Himalayas, polyandry seems to work well. Because the land and climate make it difficult to sustain crops, farming is labor- intensive: many Nyinba laborers must work the fields to support a single family. Thus, a typi- cal marriage involving three brothers and one wife provides the necessary adult male labor- ers, yet minimizes the number of offspring—a necessity in a place where the food supply is limited. While an outsider might suppose that Nyinba women dominate their families, in fact authority and inheritance rest on the husband or son. The birth of a son is celebrated; the birth of a daughter, regardless of who might be the father, brings disappointment. Pater- nity appears to be a nonissue in this culture, since households are shared by brothers from the same family. The literal head of the household is the oldest brother, who typically chooses a wife from outside his extended family. Favoritism toward a particular husband is frowned on by the Nyinba. Thus, it is the wife’s responsibility to see that each husband shares time with her in a rotational fashion. Often, over the morning meal, she will indi- cate which husband will sleep with her that night. To avoid any confusion, the chosen husband will place his shoes outside her bed- room door. As in any society (for example, the United States), not all Nyinba households conform to the social norm. Only an estimated one out of four households is able to practice polyandry. If a family has only one son, he must of neces- sity marry monogamously—an unfortunate outcome in this society. If a wife is unable to have children, a second wife, typically her sister or cousin, may be welcomed into the marriage. LET’S DISCUSS 1. Why would a monogamous marriage be considered an unfortunate one in the Nyinba culture? 2. What might be some other ways for a soci- ety to handle the physical constraints of life in a mountainous terrain?
12-1 One Wife, Many Husbands: The Nyinba The Nyinba culture of Nepal and Tibet is an agrarian society located in the remote valleys of the Himalaya Mountains, more than 9,000 feet above sea level. Despite the Nyinba’s iso- lation, they have been closely studied. Schol- ars from around the world have traveled to the Himalayas to observe this people, one of the few remaining cultures on earth to practice polyandry. In the physically challenging high-altitude region of the Himalayas, polyandry seems to work well. Because the land and climate make it difficult to sustain crops, farming is labor- intensive: many Nyinba laborers must work the fields to support a single family. Thus, a typi- cal marriage involving three brothers and one wife provides the necessary adult male labor- ers, yet minimizes the number of offspring—a necessity in a place where the food supply is limited. While an outsider might suppose that Nyinba women dominate their families, in fact authority and inheritance rest on the husband or son. The birth of a son is celebrated; the birth of a daughter, regardless of who might be the father, brings disappointment. Pater- nity appears to be a nonissue in this culture, since households are shared by brothers from the same family. The literal head of the household is the oldest brother, who typically chooses a wife from outside his extended family. Favoritism toward a particular husband is frowned on by the Nyinba. Thus, it is the wife’s responsibility to see that each husband shares time with her in a rotational fashion. Often, over the morning meal, she will indi- cate which husband will sleep with her that night. To avoid any confusion, the chosen husband will place his shoes outside her bed- room door. As in any society (for example, the United States), not all Nyinba households conform to the social norm. Only an estimated one out of four households is able to practice polyandry. If a family has only one son, he must of neces- sity marry monogamously—an unfortunate outcome in this society. If a wife is unable to have children, a second wife, typically her sister or cousin, may be welcomed into the marriage. LET’S DISCUSS 1. Why would a monogamous marriage be considered an unfortunate one in the Nyinba culture? 2. What might be some other ways for a soci- ety to handle the physical constraints of life in a mountainous terrain?
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps
